Lubricating system



C c. GOODRICH LUBRICATING SYSTEM Filed June 23, 1924 .Patented pr. 5, 1927'.`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CCY C. GOODRICH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

. LUBRICATING SYSTEM.

Application ined June. 23,

The present invention relates to improve- .ments in a lubricating system and has par- A'ticular reference to a lubricating system adapted to'be used Iin combination with a road vehicle. It is proposed to provide a lubricating system that is `in continuous operation While the motor vehicle is traveling and continuously forces af'lubricant in minute uantities-into the various bearings for shac les, springs, etc. It is further proposed'to utilize as an operating means for'.

this. distributingy system the Vvibrations `of the springs of the vehicle. .It is further proposed to. provide means allowing the conl tinuou'sly movinglubricant to be distributed in such a manif er that each place requiring lubrication recei es an amount corresponding-to its particular requirements. ther objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thefspeciiication proceeds.

`The preferred forms of lmy invention Vare -illustrated vinthe accompanying drawing, in

which Figure 1 shows a sid'e view of a motor vehicle having myv system attached thereto,

Fi ure 2 a vertical section through my distri uting pump, Figure. 3' a horizontal section taken alongline III- III -of Figure 2,

.,Figures.;.4;4 and ,5 vertical sections through i 'which may be used'in accordance with the 1 modified forms'of a distributing head, Figure.6 'a vperspective detail'view-otI a spreader used inthe distributing head shown in Figu-re 5, and Figure 7a Viewl illustrating'the .arrangement of.' a sub-distributing head.l

While I havefshown `only the preferred.

orm of the invention, itjshouldi e `under-- -stood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claimsthe dash ofthe motorvehicle and has a discharge pipe 2'lea'ding1to the general lsupply pipe 3 for the pumps-4, two of which are.

Shown in Figure 1, butany plurality; of

requirements 'and exigencies of each particular case.

.One of' the distributing pumps is illus'-V trated in Figures 2 and 3 and comprises a cylinder having a 'plunger or piston7 reciprocable therein, the extreme end '8 of the4 piston being xedto a cap 9 slidable on the outside of the cylinder and normally forced4 1924. Serial No. 721,887.

'outwardly by means of'a coiled springi 11 on bearing on the flange 12 ofthe cap 9 an a shoulder- 13 formed in the cylinder.

port'lt is provided in the side of the cylin- 60 der` and communicates through suitable cou- .plings 16 with the general supply (pipe 3, which latter, being normally fille with lubricant from the tank 1,'delivers a charge into the cylinder whenever the piston 7 65 recedes to its outermost position. A cast-` 1 ing 17 threaded on the piston as Vshown at 18 is provided with a recess 19 communicating with the discharge end ofthecylinder an the recess accommodates the cup21 yield- 70` ingly `forced against thedischarge end "of the cylinder by means of the spring 22. "The 'I cup 21 is Vused as a spreader forv the lubri-I cant forced 'from the discharge end of the cylinder.l A` plurality of.' radial ports 23 75 in the distributing vhead communicate through individual Grooves 24 with the space over .which the lubricant spreads so that the latter is forced into the grooves and `from there vinto the ports. 23,' which latter com.

municate with pipes or tubes servin as leads f to the various bearingsto'wliich a ubricant lis to be applied.

The pump is preferably operated by the vlibration of themain springs 27 of the vehi- `85 The pump is secured to the l'frame by means of avsuitable bracket and short auxil-V iary springs 28 are preferably interposed between the cup 9 and the main spring 27 to prevent the main spring fromacting on the'u90 ,I

piston-'7 too lviolentl f y The grooves 24 leading the lubricant into the pipes 26 may be made of Varying sizes so as to allow the proper amountof lubricant tobej forced therethrough for the par- 95 ticular bearing the pipe is 'connected to. Other means of 'properly distributing the lubricantinaccordance with the requirementsjof the diere'nt places of application aregShoWIi` in 'Figures 4. and 5, urev 54 dif- -1`00` i vtering.from the forni of Figure 2 n y the fact thatthe grooves 31 are disposed within-the cup 32 .instead of inithe wall ofthe recess, and Figure 4- differing. by'l the arrangement,

ofthe cu '33 in`sucha mannerthat when 105 lifted it .c earslthelports-34 arrangedradially in thev distributing headso that the lubricant Vmay How into these ports directly.M In the y n 'latter Acase the ports may be made of dierent diameter, whereby the quantity of llubrilk cant discharged therethrough is controlled.

The' advantages of my invention will be l' plunger of comparatively small cross-section bearing on a comparatively small quantity of lubricant insures proper lubrication at all times, since the force exercised by the 'vehicle springs will be sulficiently strongto overcome any tendency in `any one of the pipes to become clogged up. The lubricantv is applied to its point of application under pressure and is certain to penetrate any bearing that under the old method of applying grease in grease cups or even underpressure at long intervals may resist any attempt of forcing grease therethrough.

Vhere a' number of places requiring lubrication are grouped together, itis advisable to .provide a sub-distributing head 36sucli as shown in Figurel 5 .rat-her than to lead individual pipes from the main distributing head to each individual grease cup. 'llhis sub-distributing headl does not requireany power of its own for operating the same since the' pressure created by the main distributing head is sulicient to force the lubricant against. the cup over the resistance of the spring and thecup again acts in the .same

manner as'the cup in the main distributing i head. The lubricant thus forced into the sub-distributing head is distributed into the i various tubes leading to the various points of .application in the same manner as if the latter Were connected directly with the main distributing head; The sub-distributing head' may be made of any' suitable shape to fit into the mechanical arrangement of its surroundings and may be provided with any suitable number of outlet pipes'in accordance with the' requirements of each particular situation.A

One case of applying the sub-distributing head is illustrated in Figure 7 in which the s ame is shown in connection .with the steer-` Y ing knuckle arrangement of a motor vehicle.'

The spindle 37 for the front Wheel is pivoted tothe front axle 38 as shown 'at 39 and is operated through the yoke 41 by means oitA the steering rod 42. 'A tie rod 43 universally connected to the yoke as at 44 establishes.

' connection with a corresponding element on rIhe sub-distributing head 36 is fastened to` the knuckle arrangement in any suitable the spindle of the second Wheel (not shown).

tributing pipes 26 emanating from the mainv distributing head..

ll claim:

l. A distributing head for a pumping system comprising a casting recessedy to communicae with the discharge port of the pumping'system, a spring pressed cup slidable in the recess and normally closing saidA port and positioned tol interceptl and' to close the .cylinder so as to Aforce the lubricant to spread, longitudinal grooves along the `Wall yof the recess allowing the spreading lubricant tov be forced' thereinto and transverse ports communicating with the grooves having .passagescommunicating therewith for guiding the lubricant vto its variousnpoints of application.'

2. -In' a lubricating:mchanisnrof the class described, a circular series of'discharge connections, 'a member axially positioned with respect .lo all of said connections and terminating at one end in a valve seat, said member having an axial bore and a radial bore, the latter openingl to the former, the radial bore adapted tolopento a source ofluhricanl;`

supply, -a plunger' operating in said axial bore and across said radialbore and nor-f mally disposed below the'latter in spaced ielationto the valve seat so that a Well for the `reception of a charge of lubricant is provided in the axial bore above'th'e plunger, a valve movable with respect to -said seat and said connections and4 normally closing the upper end ofthe axial bore, means inluencingthe valve) to urge same'against the seat, the said valve having grooves correlated to the respective connections so that when the valve is lifted from the seat, the lubricant in the Well will be forced in an upward direction on one movement of the plunger to thereby lift the valve from the seatand cause the lubricant inthe Well to iow therefrom past the valve, thence through the respective grooves of the latter and to the respective discharge connections, and mean'sfor recip- -rocating vsaid plunger topermit 'the parts to function as aforesaid.

. cov o. Gooniaici-i. i. 

